The present invention relates generally to a joint assembly, and in particular to a joint assembly that may be employed in a vehicle suspension.
Bushings are often used in joint assemblies where one component must be able to pivot relative to the other. Such assemblies may include a bolt that extends through the bushing and a bracket attached to a first component, with a second component mounted about the bushing. For example, some locations where components of a vehicle suspension mount to components of a vehicle frame may include such joint assemblies.
Often, these joint assemblies, and so the fasteners within them, must withstand high loading. Some have employed separate brinelling (conical) washers between bushing sleeves and brackets to help withstand the high loading. But this adds extra parts to an assembly and extra steps to the process of assembling these joints. Others have added serrations machined into the ends of a bushing sleeve to help withstand the high loading. Upon clamping the bolt/nut combination, the serrations sink into the inside surface of the bracket material. But the serrations are somewhat destructive to the bracket, making re-assembly of a joint assembly more difficult than is desired.